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I described my view of integrating technology in a classroom as a yellow brick road. The teacher’s job is to build, support, protect and direct along the path each step of the way. There are many amazing things that can happen when using technology. I believe it is a nonstop learning experience for both teacher and students. It opens the door to new ways of thinking and gives students a chance to explore new ways of learning. For an educator, teaching a class how to use technology is a long challenging road to go down. The teacher has to be well informed of the resources they are using before presenting them to the class. The teacher can then use scaffolding to help students reach their zone of proximal development to better understand the advantages of using technology as a tool. Having strong leaders assists the development and engagement of students as well as influences their academic outcomes. I believe that the 10 commandments for teaching cyber ethics are essential to use in a classroom so that students are aware of the dangers that can arise by using the web and understand that technology needs to be used as a tool in an appropriate manner.

Resource: http://rinklyrimes.blogspot.ca/2011_12_01_archive.html

Nothing is perfect. Although I believe that the educator being the leader towards becoming more technologically aware/advanced is extremely important, there may be some limitations that occur within this metaphor. I have not yet had a significant amount of experience teaching students how to use technology therefore, I feel as though there might be some altercations that may come about. What if a student (like my niece) is so much more technologically advanced that the teacher has difficulty challenging them? Is it hard to teach someone to use technology who has not yet had a chance to experience it? Such as a family who does not have a computer in their home. Are children who have not experienced using electronic devices more afraid to move to that particular stage in their development than those who have? The teacher has to think of so many things before deciding which aspects of technology to incorporate within the classroom. When I teach, I definitely want to incorporate resources such as the web, games and blogs. I want my students to be inspired and feel as though they are making a difference both for themselves and for the people around them, just like in the Freedom Writers clip. I am a big supporter of students having the freedom to explore within limits. I want my students to be able to explore/experience the technological resources availible to them within certain boundaries (for their own safety).

This metaphor continues to reveal itself as students and teacher learn how to use and integrate technology in their daily lives. I think I will have more answers to these questions when I myself have acquired more experience as a practitioner and there will definitely be more questions that will surface along my journey as a practitioner.

A successful technologically mediated classroom consists of students using technology as a tool and in an appropriate manner. This is why it is essential for the teacher to lead students in the right direction and make sure they do not get off the path. What lies off the path are distractions and other dangerous things. It is crucial for the teacher to set boundaries for students when incorporating technology in the classroom. I definitely think that students should have freedom within limits. This means that students can still see and experience different features technology has to offer.

A study that was conducted in the United States in 2011 by Microsoft and The National Cyber Security Alliance showed that students are currently not receiving sufficient education when it comes to cyber ethics or internet behaviours. This is crazy considering that there are over 60 million students and teachers nation-wide. Students from ages 8 to 18 years of age are on electronic devices for almost 7.5 hours per day. 94% percent of students ages 12 to 17 are online users as well. Were these students taught cyber-ethics at school? If not, do they know about both good and bad sides of using technology?

In the article “Tools for Teaching Cyber Ethics” by Linda Starr, she talks about the significance of teaching cyber ethics within schools. It is extremely important to make students aware of the dangers of using the internet/technology to fully comprehend how to use it to the fullest potential. In my opinion, the article really proves how important it is for the teacher to be the guide/leader for students and lead them in the right direction. She also includes the 10 commandments for teaching computer ethics that was created by Dr. Ramon C. Barquin. I think this is extremely accurate and is definitely something I would include within my teaching if I am incorporating technology.

10 Commandments of Computer Ethics:

Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.

Thou shalt not interfere with other people’s computer work

Thou shalt not snoop around in other people’s files.

Thou shalt not use a computer to steal.

Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.

Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid.

Thou shalt not use other people’s computer resources without authorization or proper compensation.

Thou shalt not appropriate other people’s intellectual output.

Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you write or the system you design.

Thou shalt use a computer in ways that show consideration of and respect for your fellow humans.

Today’s student is tomorrow’s entrepreneur or business. Each student should have the chance to receive proper education when it comes to the use of technology. In order for students to receive that education, each teacher needs to go through adequate training in order to offer a solid foundation to each student. As a leader, educators are transmitting knowledge in order to create future leaders.

People might think that an educator will become lost in a technologically integrated classroom. You may ask youself: Why do you need a teacher when the technology is capable of teaching the lesson for them? What does the educator do in this type of environment? Why would you need help being lead down a distinct path that seems to head in only one direction?

What the teacher is supposed to do in this type of environment is be the constructor, leader, repairer and protector along the brick road. All these things are essential to properly educate students so that they become aware of the dangers envolved in using technology, social media etc. Making sure everyone stays on the same path avoids students wandering off and going on inappropriate sites and becoming distracted. If cracks begin to form in the road (e.g. student has a hard time understanding), the teacher has to make sure they are able to fill those cracks and move forward. For a technologically-integrated classroom, it is the teacher’s duty to come up with appropriate content, diverse projects (differentiation), have engaging topics and be a good problem solver.

Having strong leaders assists the development and retention of students as well as influence their academic outomes. We must face the challenges the yellow brick road (technology) has to offer, much like Dorothy confronts her own challenges as she journeys down her own path (“lions and tigers and bears, oh my!”). If a teacher wants to integate technology in the classroom, they too have to do their homework before presenting it to the class. They have to be prepared to provide/find the answers to questions/problems that may arise along the way. There are many strategies a teacher can use to figure out how to include technology in their classroom. Below is a link written by Dave Guymon. It is a five step process to integrating technology within a classroom. I think he sums up the steps that have to be taken beforehand very well.

The yellow brick road can be decieving. It may look simple and easy to follow but there are many challenges along the way. There can be many distracting things along the way such as meadows full of beautiful poppies. However, how can we let students explore the benefits of using technology in such a confined environment?

I was about 8 years old when I became introduced to using technology. I remember my sister went to university and my father bought us our first computer. It was by the company Compaq and had very limited space and features on it. My dad was so excited because it was the “new way” to communicate with my sister while she was far away doing her studies! Today, my dad is 75 years old and he is flabbergasted by the way technology has evolved within such a short period of time. Having been boring in 1939, he did not have the pleasure of having such a wide range of technological resources growing up. He cannot get over the fact that my iPhone is used for banking, weather, e-mail, camera, calculator etc. I think it is amazing that my 4 year old niece can use an iPad better than I can. I assume that she will be even more amazed when she sees her children operating new technological devices.

There can be many ways technology is introduced in the classroom. Students are becoming more technologically aware because of the resources educators are providing them. Whether it is through videos, games, smart board, blogs etc., students are being introduced to technology and its evolving components in many diverse ways. I think that differentiated teaching is crucial when it comes to using technology in the classroom. There are many students on multiple learning levels. Thus, it is important to accommodate everyone’s learning needs for every subject. I see “technology” as a subject. I had a specific “computer class” when I was in Elementary School and High School, now it’s as if computer class is incorporated all the time for students.

Freedom Writers is a great movie I could relate to my metaphor. It is about a young teacher who encourages her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply themselves, and pursue further education. I think the clip below is a great example of what can happen from a teacher being the leader in a classroom using technology. The movie was made in 2007 so just imagine how far along technology has evolved. It is also a perfect example of showing students that the teacher is not there to give you orders or boss anyone around. They are there to direct, lead and organize. I think that students sometimes become frustrated when then do not understand something right away. The same type of frustration can occur in adult life as well (e.g. when starting a new job). This is why it is essential that teachers assure their students to keep trying and never give up! Here is my favorite clip from the video:

A child has a natural instinct to learn. The teacher’s role should be the leader in the classroom and set goals for students. Children are extremely curious about new technologies that are being used in today’s society. It is not uncommon for a young child to already know how to operate an iPad or any other type of technological device. This makes it crucial for educators to know the best way to integrate technology within their classroom. Thus, choosing the correct path to make sure integrating it is as beneficial as possible.

Vygotsky was extremely interested in the role of social interaction on cognitive development and argued that development first takes place socially. This means, children observe the behaviour of the adults around them, listen to their speech, actions and interactions and then try to imitate them. Vygotsky proposed that a students’s learning ability differs between occurances in which they try to solve a problem alone and when another student or adult assists them. He refers to this as the zone of proximal development (Vygotsky, 1978). If a child is learning to complete a task, such as building a bridge with blocks, and a more competent individual provides assistance, the student is able to move into a new zone of development and problem solving. This process of assisting can also be refered to as scaffolding. This helps to link a student’s current level of problem-solving and their potential for more complex problem solving. Overall, this means that as students learn through imitation in a classroom environment, teachers should guide them, correct them and provide challenges.

Vygotsky states cognitive development stems from social interactions from guided learning within the zone of proximal development as children and their partners co-construct knowledge (Vygotsky, 1978).

I think this can be related to my metaphor because as a teacher educates the class how to use technology, the students are constantly watching and mimicing every step. As teachers, we should never expect students to fully understand a new idea without some sort of stuctured and supported framework.This is why it is so important to make sure they are always guided along the right path (yellow brick road). Educators can also use scaffolding to boost creativity and allow students to think critically. It can also be used if a student is having difficult understanding a certain aspect of what they are learning in hopes they they will have an “Ah-Ha” moment. However, if a student sees their teacher is constantly on Facebook or doing things on the computer that would not be considered appropriate for the classroom, the student will think that is okay to do that in their class time. It is extremely important to have a balance of what is appropriate and what is not.

For Vygotsky, the environment in which children grow up will influence how they think and what they think about (Vygotsky, 1978).

Based on the reference above, the way that teachers introduce technology to the classroom environment will influence how the student will view using technology in their future life. If a student has always had bad experiences with technology, they might not be able to use technology to it’s fullest potential as an adult. It is essential for the educator to make sure everyone is on the same page as they are introducing technology-based things in the classroom. There will definitely need to be use of examples and scaffolding to make sure the information is transmitted in a comprehensive way.

Metaphors are used to make sense of the world and to relate to different experiences one has had or may have. Therefore, I created my own metaphor to help me understand what role the teacher portrays in a technology-mediated classroom. Technology within the classroom is a continuous yellow brick road. The role of the educator is to be a leader for students and guide their way along the path.

There were many things that influenced the decision for my metaphor. The teacher being the leader in the classroom is crucial. I believe that the goal of the teacher in a technology-integrated classroom is to keep the students focused, make sure they do not go off track and monitor what material is being accessed. Allowing students to use technology gives them a chance to self-learn. In today’s society, new technologies are being produced at extremely fast rates. The leader has to be there to answer further questions, spark deeper thinking, and provide explanation for what is occurring or being learned. The educator is there to fill in the gaps. This is why I chose the quote in my previous post by Sir Peter Blake. Imagine what the world would be like if we depended on computers to teach us everything. Technology is always going to be there but the mind should not depend on it.

I thought that using the yellow brick road related to integrating technology after I discovered another blog that dissected the film The Wizard of Oz. It defined the Yellow Brick Road as the gold way or standard, composed of gold bricks. They also created a table which I found super accurate in relation to using technology in the classroom. I added a few things to better understand how I related it to my metaphor:

Each step you (Dorothy/Teacher) take on the yellow brick road, contained within it are three mini-steps. (Friends/Students):

When using technology in the classroom, each student takes one step at a time when discovering and learning new things. As students’ progress, they begin to discover, correct and acquire awareness for any mistakes along the way. The role of the teacher is to lead the way and set goals for the students.

What would the characteristics of a teacher with leadership skills be?The following are things I believe are essential for good leadership skills:

Continue thinking outside of their classrooms

Take risks within the classroom

Not be ashamed to say that they do not know something

Be confident in sharing what they do know

Once we can master the skills mentioned above, we can develop skills further so that as teachers, we can lead our students as well as colleagues in improving practice and collaborating more effectively. If education systems are becoming more and more technologically integrated, then it is important for future educators to know how to transmit any information being used in the classroom properly.